


no whiskey, no vodka, no tequila

by ElasticElla



Series: tumblr drabbles and fics [36]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-11
Updated: 2015-09-11
Packaged: 2018-04-20 06:53:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4777694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElasticElla/pseuds/ElasticElla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Helena sighs at her pathetic kick, grabbing her ankle, “Remind me why I’m helping you again?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	no whiskey, no vodka, no tequila

**Author's Note:**

> first posted [here](http://elasticella.tumblr.com/post/128199681305/for-valkubanging-laurel-is-sick-of-the-word-no)

Laurel is sick of the word no.  _No_ , Oliver is not going to teach her how to fight.  _No_ , Diggle doesn’t have time with the baby.  _No_ , Felicity is not taking sides. They’re only eclipsed by her own internal chant,  _no whiskey, no vodka, no tequila, no, no, no._ And it’s only a matter of time before she snaps, and it can’t be at the bottom of a bottle. So maybe she calls someone she shouldn’t, maybe she decides to stop asking and to  _take_.

.

Helena sighs at her pathetic kick, grabbing her ankle, “Remind me why I’m helping you again?”

Laurel tries to free her leg, failing with a huff. “Because I saved your life and you owe me. Now what am I doing wrong?”

Helena drops her leg, swiping her own forward quickly, making Laurel lose her breath. “You need to rotate your hips more, to force all your weight behind your kicks. Try again.”

Laurel does, and it’s good enough that Helena  _finally_  says they can break for lunch. ( _“It’s three o'clock!” “We can keep training if it’s too late for you princess.”_ )

.

Days of training turn into weeks and months, and Laurel isn’t sure when it stopped being a favor and became a friendship. They never hang around Starling City, Helena was supposed to be in jail after all, but they do go on long drives to the middle of nowhere.

Nowhere, where it doesn’t matter who they are, what they’re supposed to represent, or if they’re kissing on the side of the highway. Where Laurel doesn’t think about how her actions might influence others and plays the selfish child and  _takes_.

Helena told her once if she let the darkness in, it would never leave, and it’s true. But it’s also true about light. Helena doesn’t like to admit it, but she’s grown softer over the months, quicker to laugh.

(Helena keeps saying she isn’t ready to literally fight crime, that she just needs a little more training to be safe. She doesn’t call her out on it because the city’s still safe, but she’s ready.)


End file.
